Needle-loom



2 Sheets- -Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

L. WOODBURY NEEDLE LOOM.

Patented Apr. 26, 188.7.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

LQWOODE EY. NEEDLE LOOM.

No. 361,801. Patented Apr. 26, 1887,

FIG.3.

|N\/EI\] OR. jf I Wa -M 7 UNITED STATES -PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI \VOODBURY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO EDMUND H. GRAHAM, OF BIDDEFORQIVIAINE.

NEEDLE-LOOM.

SPECIFICATION forining pa rt of Letters Patent No. 361,801, dated April 26, 1887.

Application filed April 17, 1886. Serial No.199,238.

' tion.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in that class of machines known as needle-looms, the same consisting, substantially, in such features of construction and combinations of parts as will hereinafter he distinctly described and pointed out in the claims.

In a former patent granted me June 29, 1 886, N 0. 344,470, I have set forth certain distlnguishing characteristics between a former invention and those in existence anterior thereto; and in the presentinstance the invention differs from the one referred to in that, instead of employing two sinmltaneously-reciprocating needles, I resort to but one needle, and substitute for the other a shuttle, thus having a simultaneously-reciprocating needle and shuttle, by which the same results are accomplished in a much better or superior man- In my former invention certain mechanism is required to cause retaining-pins for the loop to operate correctly and at the proper time with respect to the movements of the needles, by which, as the needles are brought together, the loop will be caught by the pins and retained in the desired position until the needles complete their return or outward movement, whereupon the pins will be withdrawn from the reed to be in readiness for the next loop, and so on, the needles in such instance being of a special construction, to enable the retaiuing-pins to properly perform their function. In the present invention, owing to the peculiarities possessed by the shuttle which I substitute for one of the needles previously employed, I am enabled to dis- (No model.)

spective of as muchof a loom as is necessary to illustrate my invention. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the cradle in which the shuttle is carried. Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the shuttle itself; and Fig. 4 represents a view in detail of the devices by which the shuttle-cradle is securely held to any of its po- It will be understood that I do not wish to confine myself to the particular means herein shown for operating the simultaneously-reciprocating blocks, as I may resort to such means for that purpose as will be found most desirable, the generic feature of my invention being the employment of two reciprocating blocks, in one of which is held a needle and in the other a shuttle, said needle and shuttle each carrying a filling-thread and capable of adjustment within its respective block, by which the loop may be formed at any point within the reach of the needle. that the invention may be better understood, I have herein illustrated an operativenieclr anism for the blocks, which in nearly all respects is similar to that shown and described in my former application referred to, andI indicate the several parts by the letters marked thereon.

A represents the lathe-frame provided with a raceway,in which the blocks B B are adapted to slide, and 0 represents the reed. The said blocks are arranged at opposite sides of the reed, and in one of the same the needle D is held, while in the other is carried a cradle, E,

in which is loosely held a shuttle, F. The needle D is of any preferred ordinary form, and is adjustable in its block by means of devices such as are shown in Fig. 4, and to be described hereinafter.

For the purpose of enabling the needle to properly operate with respect tothe shuttle in forming the loop, I have devised the cradle E, (see Fig. 2,) which is formed at its end with a hood or projection, i, so recessed, as at i, as to receive the nose of. the shuttle when the latter is in place, and also have I formed the same at opposite sides with the ears or lugs 76 k, between which the shuttle is held or seated In order, however,

centrally; and it is intended that theshuttle shall have a slight freedom or play in order that as the thread of the needle is carried over and under the same there will be no obstruction to a free passage thereof, it being evident that unless some such provision be made a very imperfect action or result would be the case. Pivoted to the rear'of the upper side of the cradle, and regulated by a set-screw, on), which extends through the side of the cradle and bears against the retaining pin or pivot for tightening it, is a bar, a, which in practice extends forward of the cradle centrally of the shuttle, not quite reaching the nose thereof, and leaving a space between it and the shuttle sufficient for the passage of the thread and the necessary movement of the shuttle.

In Fig. 2 of the drawingsthe barn is shown as turned slightly to one side, this being for the purpose of indicating that the same is adapted to be adjustedso as to be brought to the proper position relative tothe shuttle, and also to represent how the same is turned for enabling the shuttle to be placed in the cradle.

The shuttle F is tapered at both ends, as shown, and when seated in its cradle the nose f thereof is received into the recess 2', while its body rests centrally between the lugs In, as explained. In one side an opening, 9, is provided, through which the thread is drawn from the bobbin or spool carried within, and thence passed into a groove formed in the side and through an eye, 10, secured at or near the forward end of the shuttle. By this means a very perfect threading of the shuttle-thread is effected, it being the purpose to bring the thread as closely or near the nose as possible, so that the loop will be formed just previous to the thread of the needle passing out from beneath, thus avoiding any irregularity in the formation thereof, as would possibly be the case did the interlocking or looping of the two threads take place before.

The needle and the shuttle-cradle are each adjustable in its block by means of a threaded eye, 8, located therein, through which the stems of such needle and cradle pass, the said eye being provided with a screw, t, extending or passing out through the block and having a nut, u, thereon by which to tighten it. The eye 3 works in a small recess, 2;, arranged for its reception, and it is evident that by screwing up the nut to the eye will be elevated, and thereby tightly hold the needle or cradle in place. I have referred to the eye as being threaded, which construction is only preferred in connection with the cradle for the reason that it is necessary when the same is once set or adjusted to bring the loop at the point desired,no slipping thereof should be had, and by so forming the saideye and providing the stem of the cradle with a similar thread it is obvious that when the latter is passed through, the threads of the two will mesh or engage and no slipping will occur after the proper tightening of the nut. With regard to the needle,

it is not necessary to either provide it or itsreceiving-eye with a thread, since the said needle and eye may be both plain in surface, and the friction produced by tightening the nut is found to be sufficient for the purpose.

It is intended that the cradle and its shuttle shall not be reciprocated toward the needle any farther than is necessary to allow enough thread to be paid from the spool or bobbin to effect the looping of the two threads at the particular point of the warp desired; and it will be observed that this can be regulated to a nicety by the described adjustment of both the needle and cradle, since if the loop is to be formed at the farthest point in the path of the needle the cradle is adjusted back to be only brought slightly inward and the needle adjusted forward to compensate for the distance,

and on the other hand, if the looping is to be effected at a point farther inward, a reverse adjustment of each is made. In this way much thread is saved and replenishing of the spool or bobbin rendered less frequent, with a consequent saving of both time and labor.

In operation, as the blocks are reciprocated, the filling-thread of the needle will be carried over to and under the end of the bar a, and thence to the outer end of the shuttle, where by the return movement of the needle it is brought under the shuttle and carried back until it engages the shuttle-thread, taking up sufficient of the latter for the loop, and then passes out from beneath the nose of the shuttle, and the loop is thus brought into position to be beaten. up.

As a convenient means of reciprocating the blocks, I provide one of them with a rack, a, engaging a pinion, b, borne by the frame of the loom, (see dotted lines, Fig. 1,) which pinion engages a rack-bar, G, sliding in the raceway, and to which at the other end is connected, as at a, the opposite block, B. It is obvious that by causing the bar G to move from side to side alternately the blocks will be simultaneously moved or reciprocated, and this sliding of the bar is effected through the medium of the drums (Z d and cl d and metallic straps c c, the lower ends of which are attached to the pivoted levers e e similarly as in my former application, and the movement of the several parts will, it is thought, be unried thereby into the warps,the blocks to which they are attached, and means for reciprocating the blocks, substantially as described.

2. The combination,with the lathe, of a needle and shuttle arranged at opposite sides thereof and simultaneously reciprocated back and forth to introduce the weft or filling car- 'ried thereby into the warps, the blocks to which they are attached, devices for adjusting them with respect to each other, and means for reciprocating the blocks; substantially ,as described.

3. The combination, with the lathe, of the two reciprocating b1ocks, a filling-carrying needle attached to one block and the cradle attached to the other, having the bar n, the shuttle held by such cradle and provided with the threading-eyes g and 1), and means for reciprocating the blocks, substantially as described.

4:. The combination, with the lathe, of the two reciprocating blocks, a needle adjustable in one block, and the cradle E, adjustable in the other, having bar n, the shuttle loosely held in the cradle and the said cradle. having the recessed hood iand lugs k k,and means for reciprocating the blocks, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the lathe, of two blocks simultaneously reciprocated toward each other transverse to the warps, a needle attached to one block and a cradle to the other, means for reciprocating the blocks, and a shuttle held in the cradle, having threading-apertures, all operating in the manner and for the purposes described.

6. The combination, with the reciprocating blocks, of the needle and shuttle-cradle carried thereby and the eye 8, screws t, and tightening-nuts by which they are adjustable, substantially as described.

7. The shuttle-cradle E, having a recessed hood at its inner end and lugs is k and the bar n, adjustably supported at its outer end by the set-screw m, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEVI VVOODBURY.

Witnesses: E. EVERETT ELLIs,

GURTIs LAMMOND. 

